


Elevators and new connections

by RimaKuronuma



Series: One Direction and Holidays [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 18:13:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17923835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RimaKuronuma/pseuds/RimaKuronuma
Summary: Katie was just on her way home. She didn't expect for the elevator to stop working, she also didn't expect to be stuck in it with someone else.





	Elevators and new connections

**Author's Note:**

> I was supposed to upload this on Valentine's Day, but totally forgot. Oh wells.

Valentine’s day, a day for couples to show their significant other just how much they love them. A day that has been connected to the colours red and pink as well as heart shaped objects for so long, it feels like they’re part of the holiday.

Katie had never gotten to celebrate the day with someone, but she didn’t really mind. Sure, when she was in high school, she was sad seeing all her friends with boyfriends at the time receiving roses or a box of chocolates while she got nothing. In university she had scoffed at the traditions, telling everyone who listened that the day was just a random normal day chosen to make money off flower and candy sales. But now that she was 24 and had been working her butt off to get further ahead in the work ladder, she couldn’t care less about it. Valentine’s day was just another day that some made a big deal about, but a few days later she could treat herself to discounted chocolates and that was something she could get behind.

Her indifference to the day also helped her co-worker who had plans for 14th of February, so Katie let the sweet girl leave work early. The colleague had been so thankful she had given Katie some tea as a small gift and done some extra work the previous week, so Katie wouldn’t have more work because of her. Katie wouldn’t have had minded either way, because the current task they were working on wasn’t too difficult to handle.

That’s how Katie found herself sitting in the empty office behind her desk typing away at 9pm. She was putting some finishing touches on her presentation, making sure it wasn’t lacking in any aspect. Once she deemed it ready, she closed her work computer, took the hard drive with the materials and slipped it into her purse. After making sure she had everything she needed, she grabbed her coat and made her way to the elevator, all the while pulling her pony tail tighter. As she was waiting for the elevator to come up from the ground floor, she was going through her presentation in her head. When it arrived, she quickly got on, pushed number 1 in and waited for the machinery to start moving again.

As it was still quite cold outside, it being the middle of February, she was thinking about what flavour of tea to make when she finally got home. Should she go for her favourite blueberry blend, maybe a nice green tea, or maybe she could try that marzipan-rose one her colleague had given her. She couldn’t finish her contemplation, because the elevator stopped moving way too early and the doors opened only a few floors down. In stepped a young man with short chocolate brown hair. He was nicely built and tall, but due to Katie’s own height, he was about half a head taller than the female. They both nodded towards each other and the male pushed the button to close the elevator’s doors.

Both of them stood there in silence as they rode down in the steel box. Katie was just about to go back to her tea choices, when the elevator halted suddenly, the doors showing no sign of opening. Katie pushed the button to make the doors open, but nothing happened. The young female slowly turned towards the stranger, worry visible on her face.

“Does this mean we’re stuck?” she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. She didn’t want to raise any panic when there was no reason to. She had never been stuck in an elevator and honestly, she didn’t believe she ever would get stuck. It seemed like a distant worry other people faced at times, but never got close enough to her.

“I think so,” the male said. He started studying the varying buttons to the left of the elevator doors and decided on a button with a bell on it. When nothing happened after a while, he pushed it again to no avail.

“The help _should_ be on the way,” he said looking at the girl with uncertainty in his blue-green eyes.

“Should be?” she asked, not liking the sound of those two words. The boy gave her a sad smile and she closed her eyes. _This isn’t happening, this is all a dream_ , she said in her head, but when she opened her eyes and saw the same young man looking at her worriedly, she sighed. It was real, too real.

“Okay,” she said, trying to calm herself down and think about what to do. She tried looking through the middle of the elevator doors but saw only darkness. “I think we’re stuck between floors, so screaming for help would be pointless.”

“The probability of anyone even being in this building today at this time is very small,” the brunet male stated matter-of-factly. Katie stared at him for a bit, not following his train of thought, until she remembered that today was 14th of February and the people who would normally be working over-time for various reasons were probably all home with their loved ones.

“Oh right, today’s Valentine’s day,” she said. “Can’t believe I forgot already,” she uttered under her breath, bewildered that the small detail had slipped her mind so quickly. But in all honesty, she wasn’t even the slightest bit surprised. She had actually forgotten about the day 2 years ago, because she had just got her job and was too busy trying to keep it.

“I’m Harry, by the way,” the male suddenly said, reaching out his hand for her to shake.

“Katie,” she responded, giving him her hand.

They stood in silence after that, Katie thinking about the best course of action whilst trying hard to avoid the fact that she was stuck in a steel box with a stranger she knew nothing about. Screaming was pointless and on top of that, there seemed to be no one in this building. The security guard was either taking a break or slacking, she concluded. The only positive about their situation was that the light was still on. She fished out her phone from her coat pocket only to find an unresponsive device.

“Crap,” she uttered. “You have a phone on you?” she asked, hoping his wasn’t dead like hers.

“I do, actually. Need to make a call?” he asked obviously not catching her drift.

“Yeah, the emergency service. I don’t think anyone left in this building is coming to save us, so if we want to get out of here before tomorrow morning, we should call for some help.”

Harry seemed to agree with her, as he called the number himself and explained their situation as best as he could to the other side. In the meantime, Katie was doing everything she could to not think about the various ways they could die. Instead she was trying to concentrate on the stranger’s soothing voice and was studying his features to keep her mind occupied. He had nice eyebrows with gorgeous eyes and thin pink lips. He also had high cheekbones and a straight nose. His brown hair seemed fluffy and well cared after. She noticed that he didn’t look much older than her, but that was just her guess. Just as she was about to let her eyes wander lower from his face, the steady strain of his voice stopped, and he turned towards her again.

“They said it could take them quite a while, because they’re short-staffed and the precinct is quite far from this building. They said it could take from 30 minutes to an hour.”

“An hour?” she asked. In all honesty, Katie wasn’t sure she could handle an hour stuck in this elevator. She wasn’t claustrophobic, but the idea of not getting out of this box of steel was beginning to look scarier with each passing second. The anxious female took in a big breath of air and let it out slowly in an attempt to calm her nerves.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked. She gave him a small smile and assured him she was fine, just a little shaken up because of the situation they were in. “You sure?” he persisted.

“Yes, I just need to not think about the situation, distract myself from the reality,” she told the boy, who started thinking of various ways to divert the girl’s attention.

“You being quiet doesn’t help,” she added quietly after a few minutes of silence had passed.

“The only thing I can think of right now is 21 questions,” the brunet male said after a while. Katie had never really been a fan of games like 21 questions or truth or dare, but she didn’t have any better ideas herself. 

“That sounds fine. Should we take turns or choose a person to answer first?” Katie asked, relieved that they finally had something to do other than stand around in silence.

“Let’s take turns, more fun that way,” he told the girl, who couldn’t agree more. “I’ll start. Since I already know your name, how old are you?”

“24, what about you?” the brunette girl asked, sliding down the elevator wall to sit down and rest her feet. The blue-eyed man followed her lead and settled in a comfortable sitting position next to her.

“I’m 25,” he said and took a moment to think of his next question. “So, why is a girl like you in this building so late on today of all days?”

“A girl like me?” she asked raising her eyebrows, not understanding what exactly he meant by that.

“I didn’t mean anything bad by that, you just seem like you’d be out in a restaurant, celebrating Valentine’s day, is all,” he tried to explain his words in a hurry. Katie found the sight adorable.

“I was just finishing a project that me and a colleague were trusted with,” she answered. She realised that had she not allowed her friend off work early, she wouldn’t be in this situation right now. She’d be at home, drinking some hot tea and continuing her re-watch of Charmed. She also knew that had she kept her colleague from leaving they would have been on bad terms for a while and that wasn’t something Katie needed in her life.

“Couldn’t you have finished it tomorrow?” he asked, having clearly forgotten that it wasn’t his turn anymore.

“Since it’s my turn, I’ll ignore that question,” she stated, which made the male a little flustered. With a smile on her face she asked in a slightly mocking tone: “Then what is a guy like you doing here this late on today of all days?”

Harry chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, which also made Katie laugh. _This is good, this is what I need, laughter, I can do this_ – were the words circling around her head.

“Well, my meeting with a client dragged on for longer than expected and then when I was at the front door about to leave I noticed I had forgotten some important files in their office, so I went back alone to retrieve them and then I got stuck here, with you,” he explained calmly how he had gotten into the mess they were in right now.

“So, you don’t work in this building?” she asked, having noticed how he referred to the office as _their_ office, not _his_ or _our_.

“Oh, but it’s not your turn to ask,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. Clearly happy he could get his revenge.

“Ah, crap,” was Katie’s response to that, which made the male’s smile even wider.

“What is the number 1 thing on your bucket list?” he asked finally after thinking for a bit. The dark-haired girl felt confused. A bucket list? She didn’t really have one. She hadn’t really thought about the concept of listing things she’d like to do in her life.

“I don’t have a bucket list,” she answered him, but the male didn’t seem content with her answer.

“C’mon, everyone has a bucket list. Everyone has things they definitely want to do,” he persisted.

“I guess I’ve always wanted to go skydiving,” she said after some thinking. Skydiving was something Katie had been wanting to do since high school. She was never into extreme sports and bungee jumping scared her, but skydiving seemed like it’d be fun and a great time. But so far in her life, she hadn’t really had a chance to go.

“You’ve never been?” Harry inquired to which she replied without thinking about whose turn it was.

“Nope, you have?” she asked back. She was quite sure his answer would be positive, she could read it off his face.

“I went once a few years ago with my mates,” was his answer. “It was a load of fun. I would totally recommend.”

“Nice,” Katie said, bittersweet. It seemed like everyone around the girl had already gone, even her colleague had gone a few months ago and she didn’t stop gushing about her experience for the following week.

“Would you be interested in going with me next Friday or something?” Harry asked out of the blue. The brunette woman had not expected such an offer at all. She wasn’t sure if going with someone she barely knew was the smartest idea, but her want to skydive was too strong.

“If we get out of here alive, then sure, why not,” she answered barely able to contain her excitement. They took a tiny break from 21 questions to exchange numbers, so they’d be able to contact each other about next week, Harry writing her number down in his phone, Katie scribbling it down in her notebook.

“I think it’s my turn to ask now,” she mused resting her pony tail against the wall of the elevator. The boy nodded, and Katie started contemplating what her next question should be.

“Mm, what is your biggest regret?” she asked when no better question crossed her mind. The blue-green eyed male took a moment to ponder his reply.

“I had a falling out with one of my mates and I regret not trying to fix things with him when I had the chance.”

The game between the two continued on, the questions slowly getting more personal. The elevator was filled with chatter and sometimes some laughter as well. Katie had long forgotten her situation in the steel box and the cold elevator floor wasn’t that uncomfortable anymore. They had talked about embarrassing stories from their youth as well as future plans and desires.

“What is the number one thing you look for in a relationship?” Katie asked the stranger, who really wasn’t a stranger anymore. He was more like an acquaintance, who could turn into a friend.

“I think trust is the most important thing. Even if you think you love someone unconditionally, if you can’t trust them around other people then it’s not a healthy relationship for either side.” The brunette girl could feel that there was a story behind that statement, that the boy sitting across from her had been in a relationship where one half couldn’t trust the other.

“I’m sorry if I brought up unwanted memories,” she said, feeling bad about her chosen question.

“It’s fine, it was a long time ago,” he said with a sweet smile, making her worries seem foolish just like that.

“Who is your celebrity crush?” he asked out of the blue, once again, Katie not expecting a question of this nature at all, but she didn’t want to pry into his past either.

“Easy, Chris Pine,” she answered immediately not needing any time to think about her answer. She had been a fan of Chris’s ever since she saw Star Trek in the cinema years ago. She hadn’t really been interested in the movie, but her friend had dragged her to the screening and she just fell for him. And soon her love for Kirk with Chris’s face turned into love for Chris himself.

“Chris Pine?” he asked not expecting the answer to come out so quickly.

“Yes, I mean, have you seen his eyes? You could drown in them for hours!” she exclaimed. The male wasn’t really sure how to answer now that she seemed so enthusiastic about the topic that he just smiled and let her continue explaining just why Chris Pine was her favourite celebrity. When she finally finished, the brunette girl felt self-conscious about her small fangirl moment.

“I believe it’s your turn to ask me something,” the male mentioned, which brought Katie out of her thoughts of embarrassment.

“Moving on, you don’t happen to have any food with you?” she asked, knowing her stomach would soon start growling at her from lack of nutrition.

“Sadly no, I just have gum,” he replied. Katie knew she had a Mars bar somewhere in the depths of her bag, she just wasn’t sure she was willing to share it with her companion.

“I should have a Mars bar in my bag, if I’m not mistaken,” she said after coming to the conclusion that if she wants him to share his food with her, she should also share hers.

She started searching in her bag which seemed to be bigger than it actually was now that she needed to find something from it. When she finally found it, she victoriously took it out with a big grin on her face, mirrored by Harry who was just as happy at the sight of something edible other than gum. She opened the wrapper and tried to split the bar as evenly as possible and ended up giving the slightly smaller half to the male sitting next to her.

It was just a few bites, but they were so satisfying. Katie had last eaten at around 7 and even then she only had two apples. The sweet caramel and soft core melted in her mouth and she enjoyed every second she had with the chocolatey goodness. The end of the treat came way too quickly and Katie was left wanting more.

“I think I just made myself even hungrier,” she whined, not happy with the situation. The male chuckled quietly at her words.

“You have a little something here,” he said pointing to his left cheek.

“Here?” the girl asked, pointing towards a spot on her cheek, but the brunet man shook his head and showed the correct spot again. After Katie failed to find it for the third time, the male had had enough and decided to take things into his own hands.

The brunette girl watched Harry scoot closer to her and reach out his hand towards her right cheek, but just before it reached its destination he glanced up towards her eyes and that’s how they found themselves stuck in each other’s eyes, not moving anything but their faces forward to meet in the middle. Their lips were just about to meet when the elevator jolted alive and started moving down, once again. Both of them surprised about the change of events, forgot their previous course of actions and they scrambled to stand, both relieved that they were getting rescued.

“We’re finally going to be free,” she exclaimed, the blue-eyed male took her hand in his and squeezed it in excitement.

When the steel box finally halted and the doors opened, the two couldn’t contain their happiness and embraced each other in celebration. The repairman started explaining the situation and why it had occurred as the occupants gathered their belongings from the floor and dusted off their coats and pants. Katie also took the chance to check herself in the mirror and to the horror noticed that the chocolate was still staining her cheek, she quickly got rid of it hoping that the repairman hadn’t noticed it already.

Katie and Harry walked out of the building that had kept them imprisoned for longer than either of them had wished for. They were relishing in the fresh air and the cool breeze on their exposed skin.

“Want to grab a bite to eat?” the tall male asked the girl, remembering both of their hungry states just moments before.

“I’d love to,” she answered truthfully. It was about 10pm and even though she usually tried not to eat after 8, she was way too hungry to care at that moment, plus she had grown to like the brown-haired male who had shared the same fate as her.

“Great, it’s a date.”


End file.
